Humming-top.



Patented Oct. 3, 1911.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH conwAsrnNuToN. D. C.

SALLY PLAUT, OF DUSSELDORF, GERMANY.

HUMMING-TOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1911.

Application filed December 19, 1910. Serial No. 598,148.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SALLY PLAUT, a citizen of Germany, residing atDusseldorf, Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements inHumming- Tops, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a humming top which on being spun is adaptedto consecutively produce a number of different notes or chords so that apleasing musical effect is obtained.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a vertical section of a hummingtop embodying my invention; and Fig. 2 a horizontal section on line 22,Fig. l.

The hollow body or shell a of the top is provided with upper and lowerperforated disks a, through which extends loosely a spindle (Z havingupper knob or handle (Z. Vithin body a, spindle (Z is provided with acollar (Z by means of which a lower disk 0 is firmly secured to thespindle. Upon disk 0 is rotatably supported a coacting annular reedplate 6 which is attached to body a and by means of which the latter issupported on the spindle. The reeds b of plate 6 are radially arranged,and" plate 0 has similar radial slots 0 the number of slots beinghowever less than that of the reeds, the drawing showing the use oftwelve reeds and four slots. It will be seen that by shifting therelative position between body a and spindle (Z the slots will becomealined with different groups of reeds, so that different notes or chordswill be sounded, the air entering through apertures 663 formed in body aabove plate Z) and leaving through apertures a below plate 0. Uponspindle (Z may be mounted an upright circular vane (Z which serves toincrease the volume of sound by driving the air toward egress openingsBelow handle (Z, body a is provided with a neck (Z around which theusual spinning cord is adapted to be wound.

The lower end of spindle (Z protrudes from body a and is received withina ferrule 6 within which the spindle is rotatable and tiltable. Ferrulee is provided with a protruding foot Z made of cork, rubber of similarsoft material. Foot Z is surmounted by a cork plate is supporting abearing 2' perforated as at m. Upon this bearing is free to glide a shoeh, the lower face of which is bulged as shown. Shoe it has an upper,

central indentation into which sets the lower pointed end (Z of spindle(Z. To prevent a disengagement of ferrule e from spindle (Z, the latteris provided above point (Z with a circumferential groove into whichenters a perforated flexible disk f which is slipped over point (Z Diskf and consequently spindle (Z is confined within ferrule e by an upperperforated plug 9 driven into the ferrule and between which and disk f ametal plate n is interposed. The bore of plug 9 is such that spindle (Zis not only freely rotatable within the ferrule, but that it is alsotiltable relatively thereto.

When the top has been started, the parts a and (Z will incipientlyrotate with like speed to sound a chord. During this rotation ferrule 8will be taken along, but owing to the frictional engagement of flexiblefoot Z with the floor the ferrule will be retarded relatively to thespindle. As the top during spinning does not maintain its verticalposition but rolls from side to side, spindle (Z will be deflectedwithin the ferrule, this deflection causing a tilting movement of shoe hon hearing 2'. This tilting movement together with the lateraldisplacement of the spindle within the foot and the resulting frictionalengagement between the spindle and plug causes a retardation of the spindle, while the rotation of body a remains unchanged. In this way plateZ) is shifted on plate a, so that different groups of reeds Z) becomesuccessively alined with slots 0, thus producing the desired change oftune.

I claim:

1. A humming top comprising a spindle, a shell rotatable thereon, a pairof co-acting sound producing disks secured to the spindle and shellrespectively, a ferrule loosely encompassing the lower end of thespindle, a slidable shoe engaged by the spindle, and a bearing for saidshoe within the ferrule.

2. A humming top comprising a spindle, a shell rotatable thereon, a pairof co-acting sound producing disks secured to the spindle and shellrespectively, a ferrule loosely encompassing the lower end of thespindle, a slidable shoe engaged by the spindle, a bearing for said shoewithin the ferrule, a resilient foot below the bearing, andspindleconfining means above the shoe.

3. A humming top comprising a spindle, a shell rotatable thereon, a pairof co-acting sound producing disks secured to the spindle located withinthe ferrule above said disk and shell respectively, a ferrule looselyenand perforated for the accommodation of coinpassing the lower end ofthe spindle, a the spindle. slidable shoe engaged by the spindle, abear- SALLY PLAUT.

5 ing for said shoe within the ferrule, a resilient foot below thebearing, a disk fitted to the spindle above the shoe, and a plugWitnesses:

RALPH W. DoX, ELIZABETH HnLLMUTI-I.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

